Warfare at the Speed of Light .. Air Launched Lasers Will Soon Arm F-35s & F-22s
The U.S. Air Force is refining its combat strategy, tactics, and concepts of operation to accommodate the rapid emergence of laser weapons
KRIS OSBORN, WARRIOR MAVEN - CENTER FOR MILITARY MODERNIZATION20 HOURS AGO
By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
(Washington DC)
Air warfare at the speed of light, burning holes through armor of enemy tanks and pinpointing enemy fighter jets with optical sensors and lethal weapons .. are all critical things laser-weapons are expected to perform firing from F-35s, F-22s, F-16s, F-15s and even cargo planes.
Form factor is central to the equation, as laser weapons have been operational for many years now, however on Navy ships, ground installations or other platforms where there is sufficient space, weight and power to power up lasers with sufficient force for effective periods of time. Most of all, expeditionary electrical power is needed in small enough form with sufficient power density to support and sustain high-powered laser weapons. At the same time, thermal management is also critical to laser weapons as they can generate very intense levels of heat which might destabilize some of the electronics on a platform.
These challenges considered, the Air Force has been making rapid and impactful progress developing laser weapons for fighter jets, and it is now estimated that they are actually not far away. Ground tests have shown great promise, the Navy is now operationalizing lasers on its destroyers and the Army is firing lasers from Stryker vehicles, so it won't be long before the F-35 and F-22 are flying with high-powered precision laser weapons.
https://warriormaven.com/air/warfare-at-the-speed-of-light-air-launched-lasers-will-soon-arm-f-35s-f-22s
